Bush Chooses Hansen For Deputy Secretary

By Joetta L. Sack

Washington

In a long-anticipated announcement, the White House said last week that President Bush would nominate William D. Hansen, a lobbyist for a higher education finance group, to serve as the deputy secretary of education. That job is the No. 2 post in the Department of Education.

Mr. Hansen, 41, has been the executive director of the Education Finance Council, a Washington group that lobbies for nonprofit student-loan lenders, since 1993. He also has been a member of the Bush administration's transition team.

He is known as a moderate with extensive experience in federal management, having served as the department's assistant secretary for management and budget and chief financial officer under former President George Bush. Mr. Hansen began his career in the agency as a legislative assistant...